U.S. Automakers Battle Public Bias

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/070108/autos_ap_poll.html?.v=2 ^ | 1/8/07 | Will Lester

[M. Dodge Thomas]

The day a zone rep from Dodge told me that the paint falling off my two year old vehicle in patches the size of my hand was my fault beacuse "you don't wash it enough" was the last day I even considered an American made vehicle.

Before that I "Bought American" - and suffered the consequences with products from ALL THREE major manufactuers.

Since then, I've bought Japanese (assembled in the US when possible) have had almost no problems.

I still ocasionally rent US designed vehicles.

They are still an inferior product.

Sorry to say it, but the US run auto industry as it exists today deserves to die.

[Sybeck1]

Titan trucks are made in Mississippi. That would be what I would buy, if I didn't only buy used cars.

[T-Bird45]

On another car thread yesterday, I saw an interesting response where the poster said the automakers could save themselves if they would bring the styles of vehicles they are producing in Australia and Europe over here.

[mewzilla]

And a citation for the $1500 figure...

Rising benefits burden

[mr_hammer]

"There are too many left wing politically correct brain deficient suits in the corporate tower for them to ever get out of the stupid box."

Right on!

[mewzilla]

Of course, stuff like this doesn't help, either...

12,000 paid not to work (UAW Union Alert)

I'm not enabling that.

[Dixie Yooper]

I'll own a new 07 Chevy m900 pickem up in a week. Best pick up ever made

Brain-washed by advertising or just plain old stubborn "I only buy American Trucks" intellect. Let me guess, you have never driven a Tundra have you?

[alice_in_bubbaland]

There are two generations of car buyers that the big three have alienated with their crappy cars, my generation and my kids. When my 1975 Ford had 55,000 miles on it, it needed a new transmission & head gasket. Two years later it needed another transmission. The engine blew on my husbands 1978 Buick with only 82,000 miles on it. Since 1984 we have owned Honda's and never looked back.

[68 grunt]

The whole trouble with the American auto industry comes down to one thing: the UAW.

[gunnyg]

"Brain-Washed!!!"
You called that one right!
Mass hypnosis--shades of Walter Cronkite--this nation of boobs will believe whatever the lobotomy box tells them--right now we are being told not to buy housing--result? You know.

[Flavius]

i know its a bad advertisment but

all third world nations have Toyota's or Nissan's not gm's or fords

they probably dont want to be parked on side of the road waiting for tow truck

you cant buy that advertisement

[Sam Cree]

I rented an Impala a year or so ago for a few days. It felt light weight, unstable and tinny, I was glad it wasn't mine. My '96 Dodge diesel pickup is a very good vehicle, though.

[beef]

Unfortunately for them, American carmakers are now reaping what they sowed in the 1960s and 1970s

 

I worked in my Dad/'s gas station back then, when you got your windshield cleaned and oil checked and the gas pumped for you. We could count on selling a quart of oil to every other Vega that came in.  American cars are far, far better today than they were then (thanks BTW to competition from Japan), but they still have their legacy to deal with. Good luck to them.

[Flavius]

USA made trucks I LOVE where made at a better time

[RetiredArmy]

I've begun limiting my purchases to cars made in South Korea and Alabama.

And we folks here in Bama appreciate it!!! :) I have several kin-folks that work at the Honda plant in Lincoln, AL. It is a nice plant. Great jobs for those folks there. Making well above the pay scales of any other jobs around here.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Years ago, a Chrysler guy told me that the main thing that attracted M-B to Chrysler was the Jeep brand. Mercedes had all sorts of plans for the brand, including Jeep resorts, Jeep tours, putting the Jeep name on all sorts of non-automotive products. For some reason, the concept was put on the shelf.

[Dixie Yooper]

You left out the GM 200 V6 from 1978. The engine that enlightened me to no ever buy an American car or truck again.

[JZelle]

I hear you. I've been driving Toyotas since '84.

[Citizen Tom Paine]

I assert that American cars hit the wall in 1973 when all the air pollution devices were hung on them. V8s typically went from about 300hp down to less that 200 with a commensurate loss in performance and mileage.

It took Detroit about 20+ years to learn how to build new cars with performance and low defects. The Japanese learned very quickly, and here we are.

Detroit also had some problems with styling. I am not sure what happened, but they built some dogs for many years. They also must have thought that no one had families any more when they dropped the station wagons.

[LZ_Bayonet]

"Our new TITAN is getting @ 20mph, go figger??"

Yes, go figger! That is extremely slow. They should put a larger engine in it ;-)